Safety control device



March 4, 1952 J THORNBERY 2,588,179

SAFETY CONTROL DEVICE Filed Spt. 16, 1947 Patented Mar. 4, 1952 SAFETYCONTROL DEVICE John H. Thornbery, Whitefish Bay, Wis.,"assignor toMilwaukee Gas Specialty Company, Milwaukee, Wis., 'a corporation ofWisconsin Application September 16, 1947, Serial No. 774,28l

-6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to safety control devices, and may becharacterized as an improvement in safety control devices, in general,of the character shown and described in the copending application ofRobert W. Mueller, Serial No. 561,- 082, filed October 13, 1944, nowPatent No. 2,477,- 078, issued July 26, 1949.

While the particular device which I shall describedhereina'fter inconnection with the drawing is a thermocouple safety shutoff device inwhich an armature connected to the shutoff valve is held in attractedposition, with the shutoff valve in open position by an electromagnetconnected in circuit with a thermocouple subject to the heat of theflame, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to sucha device but may be employed in other types of safety shutoff or controldevices, for example, in devices using a switch for controlling acircuit for an electrore'sponsive valve instead of a safety shutoffvalve connected to the armature.

It is to be further understood that the present invention may beemployed in other forms of safety control devices and that it is notlimited to the particular use described in the abovementioned copendingapplication of Robert W. Mueller, but may be used elsewhere as suitableor desired.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide animproved form of safety control device that may be manipulated moreexpeditiously and in which the reset position of the hande maybe'self-locating or located by feel and with the valve concealed to theeye, for-example, in floor furnace installations and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a better guide for thereset means mounted in the valve body; also a device in which the resetmeans is concealed within the valve body whereby to prevent it frombeing damaged during handling and operation, and to prevent side thrustscausing such reset means to jam or look.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device in which thehandle is positioned or supported by spring means in such manner that,when the handle is depressed, no additional pressure will be exerted onthe tapered valve plug which might otherwise cause it to jam.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed having vari-- ous features of novelty and advantages, andwhich is particularly characterized by its simplicity in construction,its economy in manufact'ure, andits effectiveness in use.

Further objects and advantages of the inven- Figure 1 is an axialsectional view through one form of safety control device embodying theresent invention; g

Figure 2 is a plan View of the handle "and abutment means shown inFigure-1; v

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cro'ss-sectional view through the valve plugshowing the pilot, open, and closed positions of the plug, taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View par-' tially in elevation andshowing another form of abutment means for the handle 'of the device.

Referring now to "the drawing, the burner shown at 1 is the'm'ainburner. It may be' the main burner for a 'ro'oin "or space heater, forawater heater, or for a soar furnace, an oven burner, one or moretopbu'r'ners, or any other burner, and it may be of any suitableconstruction.

A fuel supply pipeco'nduit '2 leads 'to the burner I for the delivery of"gaseous or other fuel thereto, for example, through "a mixing chamber 3to which air is "admitted through adjustable inlets (not shown), as wellunderstood in the art. The safety control device "of the presentinvention, designated in its entirety' at 4, is connected into the 'fuelsupply conduit 2 for controlling'the supply of fuel, as will presentlyappear.

The safety'control devi-ce '4 comprisesa valve body 5 having an inletchamber 6, an intermediate chainber l, and an outlet passage 3.Contiguous sections 'of'the fuel supply pipe 2 are connected to theinlet chamber '6 and outlet passage 8. h V

A wall or partition :9 separates the inlet chamber 6 from theintermediate chamber 1. This wall hasa'valve opening 10. An annularvalve seat is provided about the valve bpeninw upon which valve seat theyielding facing II of the thermocouplesafety valve 2 is adapted to seatto shut off communication between theinlet and intermediatechambers 6and 1 and thereby the supply of fuel for the main burner I; also .thesupply of fuel for apilot burner I3, which pilot burner is positioned in'prpximity to the main burner l as shown in the drawing. 7 i

Screwed or otherwisesecured'at I4 in the valve body 5, axially relativeto the valve opening i0, is an electromagnet housing 15. Theelectromagnet I6 and armature I! are disposed within the housing I5 andare preferably enclosed by an inner shell I8. A stem I9 has one endextendin into the inlet chamber 6 and attached to the thermocouplesafety valve I2 preferably in a manner to permit self-accommodation ofthis valve I2 to its seat. The opposite end of the stem I9 extendsthrough the adjacent end of the shell I8 and is attached to the armatureI'I, also preferably in a manner to permit self-accommodation of thearmature to the pole ends of the magnet frame 20.

A coiled spring 2I, interposed between the valve I2 and a springabutment member 22 tends yieldingly to close the valve I2 and to hold itin closed position. Suitable sealing material 23 is preferably placedaround the stem I9 and be tween the member 22 and the adjacent end ofthe inner shell I8 to prevent the passage of dust or other foreignmatter into the armature and electromagnet housing along the stem I9.

The magnet frame 20 is secured, for example, to a terminal bushing 25 inthe manner more fully disclosed in Henry F. Alfery Patent No. 2,318,136,issued May 4, 1943. The coil 26 of the electromagnet is wound around thelegs of the magnet frame 20. The bushing 25 is shown as externallythreaded for threaded engagement with a nut 21, by means of which nutthe bushing 25 is clamped to the outer'end of the electromagnet housingI5.

A thermocouple, indicated at 28, or other suitable thermoelectricgenerator, such as a thermopile or the like, is placed so that the hotjunction 29 thereof will be heated by the pilot flame as long as thepilot flame is burning. The construction of the thermocouple may besimilar to that more fully disclosed in Oscar J. Leins Patent No.2,126,564, August 9, 1938, or the construction of the thermocouple andleads therefor may be of any other suitable or preferred form.

The thermocouple lead comprises an outer tubular lead conductor 30joined, for example, to the outer tubular thermocouple element, and aninner lead conductor 3I joined to the inner thermocouple element, asshown and described in the Leins patent above identified. The inner leadconductor 3| is insulated from the outer lead conductor 30 by a wrappingof insulation on the inner lead conductor.

A ouick detachable or removable connection is preferably providedbetween the ends of the leads 30 and 3| opposite the ends which areconnected to the thermocouple elements. This removable lead connectionmay be in the form disclosed in the Henry R. Alfery patent aboveidentified, and 15 illustrated in that form, it being understood thatthis connection may be'of any other suit able or preferred form. Sufficeit for purposes of this description to state that the inner lead 3I hasa connector cone 32 which seats in the correspondingly recessed outerend of the terminal tip 33 and is clam ed in contact therewith by aconnector sleeve 34. The adjacent end of the outer tubular leadconductor 30 is connected in circuit with one side of the coil 26through the bushing 25, and the other side of the coil is connected tothe inner lead conductor 3I through the terminal tip 32.

The heat of the pilot light on the thermocouple 28 energizes theelectromagnet I6 sufficiently to hold the armature I! in attractedposition against the pole ends of the magnet frame 20 and the mo uplesafety valve I2 in open position, but this thermoelectric current is notcapable of moving the armature I1 to attracted positiqn nd the valve I2to open position. Reset means is therefore provided for resetting orcocking the armature I! to attracted position and the valve I2 to openposition.

The reset means comprises a rest stem 36 mounted for rectilinearmovement in an opening 31 in the valve body 5. The axis of the resetstem 36 is in alignment with the axis of the valve and armature stem I9.A reset button 38 is secured to the outer end of the stem 36, forexample, by screwing the same thereon, as shown. The reset button 38operates slidingly in the opening 31 in the valve body.

A guide member 40 is secured in the valve body 5 at the inner end of theopening 31. The inner end of the stem 36 extends through the guide 40into the intermediate chamber I and is guided by the guide member 40.The opening in the guide 40 through which the stem 36 extends is sealedby suitable packing M. A packing washer is provided at 42, and a coiledreset spring 43 interposed between the washer 42 and reset button 38yieldingly holds the reset stem in the positionshown in Figure 1, andreturns the stem to this position upon release thereof, as willpresently appear.

A gasket or additional packing may be provided at 44, and the innerheaded end of the reset stem 36 may have rib means at 45 whichcooperates with the gasket or packing 44 to press the same tightly aboutthe stem additionally to pre vent the escape of gas when the reset stemis in the position shown in Figure 1. A kerf or slot 46 may be providedin the inner end of the stem 36 for screwing the stem into the button38.

The shutoff or control valve is in the form of a truncated conical plug48 seated in a conical bore 49 in the valve body 5 to turn to open,closed, and pilot positions as shown in Figure 3; also to intermediateopen and closed positions. The plug 48 is disposed laterally of theintermediate chamber 1 with its axis parallel with the axis of the valveand armature stem I9, and has laterally opening port means 50 forplacing the inlet chamber I in communication with the outlet passage 8for delivery of fuel to burner I also an outlet 5| opening from itsinner end for sup plying fuel to a tube 52 for delivery to the pilotburner I3 when the valve plug 48 is in the position shown in Figure 3.By reference to Figure 3 it will be apparent that turning of the plug 48a quarter of a turn, or 90, counterclockwise from the position shownwill place the port means 50 in position for the supply of fuel to themain burner I and for simultaneously supplying fuel to the pilot burnerI3. Another quarter or 90 turn of the valve plug in th same directionwill shut off all fuel to both the main burner and the pilot burner.

The pilot tube 52, connected to the pilot outlet of the valve body 5 bya compression sleeve 53 and compression nut 54, leads to the pilotburner I3 for the purpose of supplying fuel thereto when the valve plug48 is in pilot position as shown in Figure 3, or in on position as shownin Figure 1.

A sleeve 55 is mounted in a cylindrical opening in the valve body 5 atthe outer end of the conical bore 49. This sleeve 55 is secured to thevalve body, for example, by a set screw 56. The

outer end of the sleeve 55 has an inturned annular flange 51.

The valve plug 48 has a stem 59 which extends outwardly from the valvebody 5. The valve plug 48 has an abutment 50, and adjacent this abutment60 the valve plug 48 is splayed at 6|. A

combined abutment and stop member 82 has an opening which fits over theplug 48 and is shaped to cooperate with the splayed portion 6| toprevent rotation of the combined abutment and stop member 62 relative tothe valve plug. A coiled spring 64, interposed between the abutment andstop member 82 and fiange 5?, maintains the conical surface of the plug48 resiliently and, at the same time, tightly seated in the bore 49.

Rotation of the plug 48 in a counterclockwise direction (Figure 3) isstopped when the valve plug is in full closed position, and rotation ofthe plug in the opposite direction is stopped when it reaches full pilotposition, by cooperation of a radially extending finger 55 on theabutment and stop member 52 with stops 5? formed by the ends of anopening .68- in the sleeve 55.

Turning of the valve plug 48 and resetting of the armature 28 toattracted position and valve 24 to open position is accomplished bymeans of an operating handle E8. The handle "HE has a here or cavity Hwhich fits slidingly over the adjacent end of the stem 59. The handle'78 is connected to turn the stem 55;, and thereby valve plug 48, withturning movement of the handle by means of the cavity in the handle 18which is mated to the stem 59 to connect stem 59 and thereby valve plug48 for turning movement with handle 18. A cross pin 12, fixed in stem59, limits the outward movement of handle i5 rela tive to stem 59.

A finger 13, which extends radially from handle '18 and is turnedinwardly, is adapted to register with the reset button 38 when the plug48 is in pilot position. In Figure 2 the finger 13 is shown in fulllines out of register with the reset button 38, and in Figures 1 and 2the finger I3 is shown in dotted lines in register with the reset button38. The longitudinal slots 14 in the handle I8 permit longitudinalmovement of the handle 10 relative to valve plug 48 inwardly from theposition shown in Figure 1.

An abutment surface, for cooperation with the finger 13 when handle 18is pressed inwardly on stem 59, is formed by an abutment or interlockmember 16 having an integral cup-shaped part 11 fitting within thecylindrical opening or bore 18 in the valve body 5. The member 16 has aflange extending outwardly from the cup-shaped part, which flangeprevents the handle from being depressed except in pilot [position wherea suitable slot or notch 79 is provided in the flange. The finger 13 isof a shape and size to pass through the slot 19; also into the opening31 to engage and move reset button 33 inwardly when the handle is turnedto pilot position and depressed.

If the handle is depressed while in position other than pilot position,the finger 13 will engage the member !6, which permits the handle to beturned with finger 13 in cooperation with member 76. This permitsself-locating of the reset position, or locating of this position byfeel, i. e., by turning the handle with finger 13 in cooperation withmember 76 until the finger moves into the slot or notch 19. In this waythe operator of the device is apprised that the handle is in pilotposition. This permits the device to be concealed to the eye, forexample, in floor furnace installations and the like.

With the arrangement described, the reset button 38 is concealed withinthe valve body 5 with its outer end disposed inwardly of the plane ofthe outer surface of the member 15. This prevents the reset button frombeing damaged during handling and operation, and prevents the impositionof side thrusts causing means to jam or look.

The handle 10 is supported or positioned as shown in Figure 1 by acoiled spring 88 interthe reset posed between the handle and the innerend of the cup-shaped part 1! of the member 16. In this way, when handle18 is depressed, no additional pressure is exerted on the tapered valveplug 48 which might otherwise cause it to jam.

To start the operation of the system shown in the drawing, the followingsequence is followed:

Assuming that the valve plug 48 is in closed or oil position, the handle18 is grasped and turned to turn the valve plug to the pilot position asshown, for example, in Figure 3. In this position. The opening of valvei2 with the valve plug 48 in pilot position sets up a flow of fuel tothe pilot burner I3 through inlet chamber 8, valve opening l8,intermediate chamber 1, the inner end of passageway 8, port 50, pilotoutlet 5|, and pilot tube 52.

ure 1 by the spring8ll.

Upon ignition of the pilot burner l3, for example, by applying a lightedmatch or otherwise as desired, the pilot flame, by heating the hotjunction 29 of the thermocouple '28 or other thermoelectric generator,energizes the electromagnet 18 sufliciently to hold the armature H inattracted position and the valve l2 open. When the inward pressure onhandle 18 is released, the handle is returned to the position shown inFig- The spring 43 returns the reset button 38 to its outwardlyprojected position.

After the pilot has been ignited and the thermocouple operates to holdthe thermoelectric safety valve [2 in open position, gas will flow tothe main burner I if the valve plug 48 is turned to open position asshown in broken lines in Figure 3. By turning the valve plug to closedposition as indicated by dot and dash lines in Figure 3, gas is shut offto both the main burner and the pilot burner and the thermo-electricsafety valve I2 will then, of course, close. Intermediate positions ofthe valve plug 48 between open and closed positions will provideintermediate supplies of fuel to the main burner.

In the modification shown fragmentarily in Figure 4, the member 16 ofthe previous embodiment of the invention is omitted. The spring 89' inthis case is supported by the sleeve which corresponds with the sleeve55 of the previous embodiment of the invention. The abutment surface forcooperation with the finger 13' on handle 18' is formed directly onvalve body 5. The other parts are indicated by primed referencecharacters corresponding with the reference characters applied tosimilar parts in Figure 1.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing is for illustrativepurposes only, and it is to be expressly understood that the drawing andthe accompanying specification are not to be construed as a definitionof the limits or scope of the invention, reference being had to theappended claims for that purpose.

I claim:

1. In a valve mechanism of the class wherein there is a valve bodyhaving a fuel inlet, an outlet for supplying fuel to a burner, a pilotoutlet, a

valve plug having port means and rotatable in said valve body incooperation with said inlet, said outlet and said pilot outlet to open,closed, and pilot positions, and wherein said valve. body has a planeouter surface, the combination with said valve mechanism of anelectromagnet mounted on said valve body in position spaced laterallyfrom the axis of said valve plug, a safety valve and connected armaturestructure having reciprocatory movement in said valve body in positionspaced laterally from the axis of said valve plug and with the armaturein alignment with the electromagnet, said safety valve and connectedarmature structure having one position in which the safety valve isclosed and said armature is retracted from said electromagnet andanother position in which the safety valve is open and said armature isattracted to the electromagnet, said valve body having a bore formedtherein in position spaced laterally from the axis of said valve plugand coaxial with said safety valve and armature, said bore opening atits outer end through the plane surface on the valve body, a handlefixed on the valve plug outwardly of said plane surface to turn thevalve plug to closed, open, and pilot positions and slidable on saidvalve plug in pilot position thereof, a reset finger extending laterallyfrom said handle and turned inwardly at its outer end, the inward- V lyturned outer end of said finger being adapted to engage and slide oversaid plane surface with the turning movement of said handle and forself-entry into the outer end of said bor in pilot position of saidhandle, and reset means mounted for reciprocatory movement in the borein the valve body and having its outer end exposed to the inwardlyturned end of said reset finger when the valve plug is in pilotposition, said reset means having its entire length at all timesconfined within the length of said bore, said reset finger being adaptedto enter and move inwardly in the bore in the valve body and to actuatesaid reset means inwardly upon inward sliding movement of the handle onthe valve plug in pilot position thereof, said safety valve and armaturestructure being positioned to be engaged and actuated to open the safetyvalve and to move the armature to attracted position by the inwardmovement imparted to said reset means.

2. Valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the reset meanscomprises a reset button slidable in the bore in the valve body, withits outer end disposed inwardly of the plane surface on the valve bodywhen the reset means is projecte'i outwardly from its resettingposition.

3. Valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the plane surface onthe valve body is formed by a flange extending outwardly from acup-shaped member fitting within a second bore formed in the valve bodycoaxial with the valve plug, and wherein there is an opening in saidflange registering with the outer end of the bore in which the resetmeans is mounted and 8 through which said reset finger has access tosaid reset means in the pilot position of the valve plug.

4. Valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the plane surface onthe valve body is formed by a flange extending outwardly from acup-shaped member fitting within a second bore formed in the valve bodycoaxial with the valve plug, and wherein there is an opening in saidflange registering with the outer end of the bore in which the resetmeans is mounted and through which said reset finger has access to saidreset means in the pilot position of the valve plug; also wherein thereset means comprises a reset button slidable in the bore in the valvebody with its outer end disposed inwardly of the plane surface on thevalve body when the reset means is projected outwardly from itsresetting position.

5. Valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the plane surface onthe valve body is formed by a flange extending outwardly from acup-shaped member fitting within a second bore formed in the valve bodycoaxial with the valve plug, and wherein there is an opening in saidflange registering with the outer end of the bore in which the resetmeans is mounted and through which said reset finger has access to saidreset means in the pilot position of the valve plug; also wherein thereis an abutment sleeve secured in said second bore in the valve body anda coiled spring interposed between said sleeve and an abutment on thevalve plug.

6. Valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the reset meanscomprises a guide secured in the valve body at the inner end of the borein which the reset means is mounted, a reset stem slidable in saidguide, and a reset button secured on the outer end of said reset stemand slidable in the aforesaid bore in the valve body.

JOHN H. THO-RNBERY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,160,486 Allen Nov. 16, 19152,046,920 Meacham July 7, 1936 2,198,896 Wetzel Apr. 30, 1940 2,257,024Ray Sept. 23, 1941 2,318,136 Alfery May 4, 1943 2,318,823 Wantz May 11,1943 2,372,537 Wantz Mar. 27, 1945 2,403,611 Ray July 9, 1946 2,409,947Mantz Oct. 22, 1946 2,477,078 Mueller July 26, 1949 2,481,265 VanDenberg et al. Sept. 6, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,099Great Britain Apr. 29, 1912

